Greenwood County, South Carolina

County Distress Index: Elevated · 55.1 | 69,460 people · 30th most distressed in South Carolina
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Greenwood County, SC registers elevated household financial distress with a score of 55.1 — 1205th nationally out of 3144 counties. The primary driver is Debt & Delinquency, where residents carry heavy debt burdens with elevated delinquency and collections rates. Within South Carolina, it ranks 30th of 46 counties. Among its 6 neighboring counties, 4 show more distress.

The Numbers Behind the Score

The CDI measures five domains of financial distress. Greenwood County's primary driver is Debt & Delinquency at 69.4 — above the national median.

Debt & Delinquency Primary driver 69.4
Debt in Collections 81
Medical Debt 71
Student Loan Delinquency 92
Auto Loan Delinquency 82
Credit Card Delinquency 76
Bankruptcy Filing Rate 14
Income & Poverty 67.4
Poverty Rate 72
Income vs. State Median 54
Child Poverty Rate 76
Housing Cost Burden 59.2
Rent-Burdened (30%+) 62
Severely Rent-Burdened (50%+) 73
Mortgage-Burdened (30%+) 43
Homeownership Rate 82
Rent-to-Income Ratio 37
Employment & Wages 50.2
Unemployment Rate 90
Wage-to-Rent Ratio 13
Business Formation Rate 47
Community Vulnerability 29.2
Uninsured Rate 48
Disability Rate 10

Scores are percentile-based: 50 = national median, higher = more distressed. The median line is shown on each bar.

Neighbors and Peers

How Greenwood County compares to its 6 neighboring counties and population peers.

Neighboring Counties

County Score Zone vs. Greenwood County
Greenwood County, SC 55.1 Elevated —
Laurens County, SC 64.4 Elevated +9.3
Saluda County, SC 62.6 Elevated +7.5
Newberry County, SC 60.6 Elevated +5.5
Edgefield County, SC 59.1 Elevated +4.0
Abbeville County, SC 54.3 Elevated -0.8
McCormick County, SC 51.4 Elevated -3.8

Population Peers

County Score Zone vs. Greenwood County
Jackson County, AL 55.1 Elevated -0.0
Creek County, OK 55.1 Elevated -0.0
Kaufman County, TX 55.1 Elevated +0.0
Blount County, AL 55.0 Elevated -0.1
White County, AR 55.2 Elevated +0.1

Download Data

Export all distress indicators for Greenwood County as a CSV file.

Find Help in Greenwood County

Find an Attorney

South Carolina Bar — Lawyer Referral Service offers a lawyer referral service for bankruptcy, foreclosure defense, and consumer rights.

South Carolina Bar — Lawyer Referral Service 803-799-7100

Free Legal Aid

Legal aid organizations serving Greenwood County residents at no cost.

SC Legal Services (Palmetto Legal Services / Greater Columbia Community Relations Council) 1-888-346-5592
Upstate Legal Services 864-679-3232
Pro Bono Legal Services — SC Bar 803-799-6653
Charleston Pro Bono Legal Services 843-853-3304
South Carolina Legal Services, Inc. (888) 346-5592

American Default Research does not endorse, rate, or rank any provider. Verify attorney credentials with your state bar.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the distress score for Greenwood County, South Carolina?

    Greenwood County has a County Distress Index score of 55.1 out of 100, placing it in the Elevated zone. It ranks 1,205th nationally out of 3,144 counties and 30th in South Carolina out of 46 counties.

  • What drives financial distress in Greenwood County?

    The primary driver of distress in Greenwood County is Debt & Delinquency, where the county scores 69.4 out of 100. This domain is measured by indicators including Debt in Collections, Medical Debt, Student Loan Delinquency.

  • How does Greenwood County compare to neighboring counties?

    Greenwood County (55.1) can be compared to its 6 neighboring counties: Laurens County, SC (64.4); Saluda County, SC (62.6); Newberry County, SC (60.6).

  • How is the County Distress Index calculated?

    The County Distress Index uses percentile-rank averaging across five domains: Debt & Delinquency, Income & Poverty, Housing Cost Burden, Employment & Wages, and Community Vulnerability. Each county's indicators are ranked against all 3,144 U.S. counties. A score of 50 means the county is at the national median; higher scores indicate greater distress.

  • What is the population of Greenwood County?

    Greenwood County, South Carolina has a population of approximately 69,460 (2023 Census estimate), classified as a mid county.